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Hi everyone! My wife and I are thinking about moving to Salt Lake City in the summer of 2015 and would like some advice. We are in our mid 20s and have just started our careers. We both have a Masters in Communication and are currently working in our field (PR, Marketing) in Alaska. Our jobs are pretty nice, but we really dislike the place we are living. It is very isolated (you can't drive out of it and airfaire is ridiculous) and the weather is terrible. It rains for weeks on end and we've had months without even a patch of blue in the sky. It also gets very foggy, which adds to the whole secluded feeling. We knew what we were getting into moving here, but did not know how badly it would affect our mood and happiness. Also, this year has been particularly crappy weather wise. Long story short: We want to move!

Our plan is to move in the summer of 2015 so we have saved up some more money and gained more experience. The summer is also the only time we can really move because we will need to take the ferry and drive through the Yukon territory to get out. By the time we move we will have saved up 20-30K and have 1-1.5 years of experience in our field. I know the best thing to do is to get a job in a place before quitting your current job and moving, but that will be very difficult. We always wanted to travel through Europe (I'm from there), but never had the money to do so while studying. Since we would be quitting our jobs anyway, we figured that it would be a good time to do this trip while we are not really tied to a place (good job, rent or mortgage, pets, kids). We are planning on traveling for 2-3 months and the 20-30K estimate is based on our savings after this trip. When we get back from the trip in September, we will pack all our stuff in our car and drive to Salt Lake City. Since we won't have jobs when we get there, we are thinking about staying at a Airbnb for 2-3 months (found some studios under $1000 a month), since they do not require employment and are pretty flexible. This will make it easier to eventually find a place that is located conveniently for our jobs. We are OK with working odd jobs for a while, but hope to get a job in our field in a few months.

A little bit more information about us: As mentioned before, we are in our mid 20s. We like being outside. I like running (competitive) and roadbiking (might pick up mountain biking), and my wife and I like to hike and just go for walks (in parks or other places) and relaxing in the sun. My wife used to ski and wants to pick that up again, and I am willing to learn and I would also like to do some cross-country skiing. We are not planning on having children in the next few years and we are both not religious. Neither of us drinks alcohol, so the whole bar scene is not that important to us. We are interested in renting a 1-2 bedroom apartment, or maybe a small town house when we get a job. We have no plans to buy anything in the near future.

Some of the factors that make Salt Lake City appealing to us: the outdoors, the weather (nice summers, not much rain throughout the year. We have heard about the inversions), the job market, and the easy access to a good sized airport. We also like that it is a big enough city to have all the amenities we want, but not so giant that it is crowded or unsafe. We have never actually visited the city, but we are planning a 10 day trip this spring.

So now comes the part we need advice on:

1. Does Salt Lake City sound like a good match for us based on what I have just written? I know this is very limited information to base your opinion on, but we would still like some advice.

2. This is more a cluster of questions: Is moving to Salt Lake without a job a really bad idea? Do we have enough money and experience to find a job within a few months, or should we tough it out in Alaska for an extra year (or even more) so we have more money and experience? It would be great if someone knew how competitive the jobs in our field (Communication, PR, Marketing) are. Also, my wife really wants work in event planning, so if anyone has more information about that field in Salt Lake, that would be awesome.

3. What parts of Salt Lake sound like the best fit for us? I've heard that Sugar House is nice. Is this close to nice running areas? Are there any areas that we should avoid?

More specific questions.

4. How bad are the inversions? What does it prevent you from doing and how long do they stay around?

5. How is the running scene in Salt Lake? The trails look really nice based on the pictures I have seen, but are they easily accessible if you live in the city? And if so, what parts of the city have the best access? Are there nice parks to run (I heard about a wood-chip trail)? How is running in the winter? How long are the trails not accessible? Is it safe to run in the dark? Are there a lot of races in Salt Lake?

6. How is the road biking scene? Is it relatively safe to bike on the road? Are there are lot of people biking (for a sport?) and is it easy to get out of town on a bike and ride in the mountains? And again, how does winter affect riding? How long are the road inaccessible due to snow or ice?

7. Is there anything else we should know about Salt Lake City before deciding if we should move there? We obviously know about the LDS community, but so far we have only had good experiences. The Mormons we have met have been very friendly and often had the same interests as us. I understand that they might be a bit exclusive in some Mormon dominated areas, but that this isn't as much of an issue in downtown Salt Lake (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Please feel free to answer as many questions as you like. Thank you for your advice!

Since it turned out to be a pretty long story, I will give a quick summary.

We are a not religious married couple in our mid 20's and we have jobs in the Marketing/Communication field in Alaska. We are thinking about moving to Salt Lake City in 2015 without a job, because we want to do some traveling beforehand. At the time of our move we will have saved up 20-30K and have 1-1.5 years of experiences in our field.

We would like to know if this is enough (money and experience) to live in Salt Lake until we find a job, or if we should stay in Alaska for a while longer? We are not big spenders so an average paying job in our field is more than sufficient.

We are planning on visiting the city in the spring and we would also like to know what areas we should check out? We like to go running on trails and go road biking. We also would like to live close to a nice park. Since we are not Mormon, we are looking for an area that is not predominantly (80-90%) Mormon. We are planning on renting and probably want to avoid traditional suburbs.

If you have some extra time, please read my previous post, since it includes more info and more questions.

1. Does Salt Lake City sound like a good match for us based on what I have just written? I know this is very limited information to base your opinion on, but we would still like some advice.

Based on what you've said, it sounds like an absolutely PERFECT match for you.

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2. This is more a cluster of questions: Is moving to Salt Lake without a job a really bad idea? Do we have enough money and experience to find a job within a few months, or should we tough it out in Alaska for an extra year (or even more) so we have more money and experience? It would be great if someone knew how competitive the jobs in our field (Communication, PR, Marketing) are. Also, my wife really wants work in event planning, so if anyone has more information about that field in Salt Lake, that would be awesome.

You know, I really can't comment on this concern. Obviously, it would be great if you could have a job waiting for you when you get here, but I'm not sure that an extra year's experience in your field would really make that much difference. It also sounds like you've got some decent savings. My gut feeling is that it would work out. Maybe other people, going on something other than a gut feeling, would be able to give you a more objective answer.

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3. What parts of Salt Lake sound like the best fit for us? I've heard that Sugar House is nice. Is this close to nice running areas? Are there any areas that we should avoid?

I'd say Sugar House would be a good fit. Also 15th & 15th and Westminster. These areas are not far from Sugarhouse; they're also a little closer to downtown. The Avenues might also be a good option. The homes in all of these areas are older. I don't know if that's something you'd be okay with or not. If you wanted a newer home, there are other options to consider. Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, and the Foothill Boulevard area would be my recommendations. Most of the homes in these areas still aren't "new"; they're just newer than Sugar House, 15th & 15th, Westminster and the Avenues.

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4. How bad are the inversions? What does it prevent you from doing and how long do they stay around?

That's kind of a subjective question. They're not good. There's no way around that. I'd say the air around here sucks pretty bad between mid-December and mid-February. That's not every day, though. Every few days, a new storm moves in and the inversion moves out. Then, as the cold air becomes more stagnant, the process starts all over again. For me personally, the way the air looks is more of a problem than the way it affects me from a health standpoint. People with asthma and other lung conditions have to be kind of careful during the inversion period to not spend too much time outdoors. My mom, who had asthma, was a Salt Lake City resident for most of her life and died about five years ago at the age of 96. My nephew has Cystic Fibrosis and seems to do okay here. He's somewhat restricted in his activities during the winter months, though.

We do, however, definitely have four distinct seasons, and probably far fewer gray days than you do where you're at now.

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5. How is the running scene in Salt Lake? The trails look really nice based on the pictures I have seen, but are they easily accessible if you live in the city? And if so, what parts of the city have the best access? Are there nice parks to run (I heard about a wood-chip trail)? How is running in the winter? How long are the trails not accessible? Is it safe to run in the dark? Are there a lot of races in Salt Lake?

Again, I'm not a runner, but there are an awful lot of runners here and a lot of easily accessible trails from what I'm told.

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6. How is the road biking scene? Is it relatively safe to bike on the road? Are there are lot of people biking (for a sport?) and is it easy to get out of town on a bike and ride in the mountains? And again, how does winter affect riding? How long are the road inaccessible due to snow or ice?

Biking is pretty big here. There are a lot of bike lanes, even downdown. I wouldn't want to even attempt to bike right after a big snowstorm here in Salt Lake, but the roads are generally cleared of snow very quickly. As long as you weren't planning on using bikes as your sole transportation, you'd probably find the biking situation here to be pretty ideal.

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7. Is there anything else we should know about Salt Lake City before deciding if we should move there? We obviously know about the LDS community, but so far we have only had good experiences. The Mormons we have met have been very friendly and often had the same interests as us. I understand that they might be a bit exclusive in some Mormon dominated areas, but that this isn't as much of an issue in downtown Salt Lake (please correct me if I'm wrong).

It sounds like you've probably got a pretty good idea what to expect in this regard.

Thank you for your response! It's very helpful. Everything sounds pretty positive, except for the inversions. We will definitely check out Sugar House, Westminster, 15th & 15th, and the Avenues when we come for a visit.

I know there are some jobs that ask for 2 or more years of experience, so one year extra in Alaska might help with that. However, as the weather forecast for next week predicts another week of non-stop rain and greyness, and daily highs dropping to low 40s, I am not sure if that is an option if we want to keep our sanity.

Again, thank you for your response, and please keep them coming. We would like to hear from as many people as possible so we can make a good decision.

I'll only comment on the job idea. I wouldn't try to move here prior to having at least several good interviews set up. It took me nearly 5 months to get a job once I was out of one. I was in professional sales so perhaps your field will be a bit different. Either way while the $10 and hour jobs are plentiful, the REAL jobs take a while to nail down.

OK. Thanks for the advice. 5 months is a long time, but it would still be doable for us. We will start applying for things while we are still in Europe traveling. I am just not sure how effective that will be since we won't be able to start for a while, plus they could only interview us via Skype. We might have to work $10 an hour jobs for a while I guess..

How did you initially get to Alaska ?
Go there on Bonne Foi ?
Hope for the best ?
How did you get a job there ?
Can you do the same in Utah ?

Going somewhere, without a job,
not even an idea if there might be a job, is a risky undertaking,
but if you know you can do it, you will be able to do it !

If you are willing to do almost anything to get a job,
who cares what it is, for the time being.
Do anything to pay some of your bills.

One piece of advice I have, which you may not like, but should consider.
Postpone your *travel for fun* plans, until you are back on your feet.
Sounds like harsh advice, but *Europe* is not going away for a long time.
I assume, since you are from there, you would like to show your wife what it is all about.
I was *in the same boat* a long time ago. I am also originally *from there*.
It took 11 years, after our marriage to finally be able ,
to show her where I grew up and I had then all the time (and money) in world to do it.
I got jobs in Europe ! I worked there for a total of 12 years !
Over 15 years of hard work in the USA, got me to where I wanted to be in the professional world.
For all those years before we went, we had our family of 4 kids, and enjoyed the USA !
There is so much to see and do, just here in the USA !!!

Use your friend *Google* to find jobs in Utah.
Read up in the professional magazines in your line of work, and find out where the jobs are.

Showing me, that you are willing to *endure* a few more years
in a place, which you seem to absolutely not like,
shows me that you are willing to do the right thing.
Like getting more experience under your belt !

Think it over, have a bit of patience, and prepare for *tomorrow*.
One day you will be at the place you love,
have a job you enjoy going to every morning, and have a family (with kids !!).

Please, please do take all the nay-sayers messages with a bag of salt.
You take their views as *gospel*, give up on the idea ever coming to Utah !
The last thing you want to do, is become like *them*.

Lastly, why did I end up in Utah ?
You marry a girl from Utah, you WILL end up here !
Somehow, those ladies always want to *go home* some day ...
I would not live anywhere else !

We moved to Alaska because my wife grew up here. She wasn't a big fan of the place while growing up, but because we can rent cheaply (family connections), and the job market is pretty good, we decided to come up here and stay for 2-3 years to save some money and gain some experience. We both got pretty good jobs in a few weeks, but having some connections and good local references didn't hurt. However, we found out that living here as adults is a lot different than living here as kids. Your world is just a lot bigger, so you feel way more constricted. What also doesn't help is that we "only" get 3 weeks of vacation a year. Since weekend trips are almost impossible, it feels like we are really stuck.

The reason we want to travel next year is because we aren't tied to a place. We can just leave and store our stuff for free, without having to pay for rent in the mean time. We are planning on having children in a few years and that will make it a lot more complicated to travel for a long period of time. We've seen so many people with big plans that postpone them because it is the responsible thing to do, and end up never doing them. We are afraid that if we wait a couple years, we will have kids and decide to wait until they are grown up. Then we will wait until we are retired, because you can't just quit your job and travel for a while since we have to pay for college, a mortgage, etc. At this rate, that means we will be traveling at age 65-70, if we are still alive and mobile by that time. Is this a realistic fear, and do our traveling plans make more sense now?

I understand that enduring a place shows character, I am just not sure if it is worth being miserable for. A lot of people don't like it here but stick around because the jobs pay well, and it is a good place to raise a family. That all sounds very responsible, but these are the same people that talk about how many years they have left until retirement while their not even in their 30s! That sounds pretty depressing to us. I understand that staying here for 2-3 years won't do that to us, I am just not sure if it is worth it. We are both not very materialistic people. We have no interest in a big house and a fancy car. So if the only fear is that we lose some of our savings and might have to work bad-paying jobs for a while, it is probably still worth the risk. It is a different story if we end up flipping burgers for a year while burning through our savings. However, I guess we are still at an age to take risks like these.

Again, thank you for advice. Please don't think we are dismissing it. While reading through comments and writing responses we are processing what is really important to us, so it is very helpful to get feedback.

I'll only comment on the job idea. I wouldn't try to move here prior to having at least several good interviews set up. It took me nearly 5 months to get a job once I was out of one. I was in professional sales so perhaps your field will be a bit different. Either way while the $10 and hour jobs are plentiful, the REAL jobs take a while to nail down.

In fairness, the OP could ask the same question about ANY city, and the (almost) universal answer is going to be "don't move till you have a job." OTOH, the OP says that they'll have $20-30k saved up. That's enough to move almost anywhere and survive for long enough to find a job, especially if they're willing to do some low wage stuff in the interim. People have moved to NYC with much, much less in their pocket and done fine.

To the OP: Actually attempting any kind of job search while traveling in Europe strikes me as a very bad idea. You'll be unavailable to interview and just create the impression of being a dilettante. You'll be forever remembered by the employer as "that guy who applied from Europe and couldn't even start for 2 months," (who then goes and hires the guy that could make it a face-to-face interview and is available immediately).

To the OP: Actually attempting any kind of job search while traveling in Europe strikes me as a very bad idea. You'll be unavailable to interview and just create the impression of being a dilettante. You'll be forever remembered by the employer as "that guy who applied from Europe and couldn't even start for 2 months," (who then goes and hires the guy that could make it a face-to-face interview and is available immediately).

Very, very good advise!

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